Chapter Text
09/04/2016 - Saturday
Afternoon
Tanjiro blinked his eyes open, startling himself almost, considering how heavy they had felt just before.
And he wonders about it, “How tired am I?”
The journey had been a somewhat long one, in hindsight. So maybe he shouldn’t be surprised that he got tired enough he almost fell asleep in the Train.
Or maybe he just wasn’t used to this as much as he previously would have been.
“It has been over 2 years…”
Two Years since… that.
It was peaceful. Their father driving all of them home while N̸̨̢̖̺̠̹̽̆̔͊̋̇̊͠ȩ̵̠͚̞̣̲̺̪̈͂͂͝z̶̮͕̳͔͇̋̈́̀̆̋͘͜͠͠u̸̦̻͕̭̲̝̪̥̓̃́̈́ḱ̶̢̨̢͇͎̼͙͚̗̮̒̂̊͆̈́̑͒̔͝o̶̡̬͙̖̣̽́̕͝ͅ happily read from her Manga.
But then…
Something hit them! They were out of control; dad couldn’t control it! They needed to-!!
…His world was torn away in an instant.
D̵̛̪̯̲̈́ė̷̼̝ā̶̺̥̦̩̔d̴͍͑̿̽.̸̨̰͂̈́̚ ̸̖͍̜̬͗͌T̴͕̏h̵̢̕e̷̪͔͘y̶̛̱̔̈́̀ ̵̹͔̙̮̔w̷̙̜̫̐e̸̙͎̎͂̾͛r̵̟͒́̀͋e̵͚͓͖̓͘ ̸͉̿̅́ḑ̸̻̦̈́e̶͚͛͆ͅa̶͔̾͝ḑ̴̏.̷̥͕͋̀ ̷̢̛͍̈́́̄Ḧ̷̺͙̰̍̋ͅẻ̶̢̻̙ ̸̫͖̓̊̏̍c̶̣̼͙̟̅̍͐o̶̮̒̐̏͌u̸̡̦͌̄͘l̵̺͂̎̚ḍ̴͉̅̂͋͝n̷̤͎̱̜̒́'̵͍̠̝͕̎̿t̴͚̣̽ ̶͕̇p̷̧͍̱̮̈́ṛ̶͑ó̶̢̦̰̌͘t̴͚̱̭̣̊e̶̢̟̣͊č̷̬̪͂̚t̵̳̥̃ͅ ̸͎͕̐̊ț̷͚̼̈́̂̽h̵̩͍̅̽̕ͅe̷̢̬̊m̴̠̂̓.̴͉̮̜̬̃̄́.̵̨̝̱͕̏̅.̸̢͈̠̾ ̷͚̍̎͠N̷̢̬͍̱̄̓̈́o̷̜͔̖̒͋,̶̗̥̜́́̅ ̷̧̫̠̝̅̀̆n̷̤̱̩͋o̴͇̗͖̓̽,̷̱̘̝̝̄͂͝ ̷͉͉̹̾̌̆̏͜ņ̶̭̒͋͂̋o̶̫̝͖͒͑͘ͅ,̴͉̩͈̆̓͛ ̵̰̙̠̄̿̓n̷̗͆̐͂õ̶̻̜͎̬͆̏!̴̦͕̩̲́!̶͓̼̺̥̐ ̵̟̼̳̜̆̔͒P̶̭̰͚͐̽̓̒l̷̖̰͙̏ḙ̴̻͓͔͋͐̀ȃ̴̳͋š̴̳̣͚͐̚ẽ̵͙̯̰̅,̶̢̠̬̹̔͒̌̆ ̷̜̃͝ͅḧ̵͓̘́̃ë̷̫͓̙͐̐̏'̵̭̩̺́̊̋͝s̶̯͉̥͍͊ ̸͇͍̘͖̃̓̄̑s̵̢̻͈͆o̶͇̳̔͐́͘ ̶̦̉s̶͕̀ơ̴͉̬͔̐͂͆r̴͈͉̱͉̾̑̕ŕ̸͙͓̜̽͠y̷̛̭̻͋̋́!̵̨̲̄ ̵̟̫͂͘̚H̵̡̱̫͉̏e̶̮̮͖͈̊̈́̽̚ ̴̜̮̈́̃ḟ̶̨̘̺͚̉̈̇ȁ̶̡̻̝̠͗̀̕ĭ̴̥͕̗͙͐̓͑l̵̡̹̟̈́ȇ̶̯̝͔d̶̦̣̓ ̵͓̥͑̎̎a̸̙̙̹̓s̵̡͍̼̮̅͗ ̴͚̜̩̼͗a̵̧̙͇̋̊̕͝ ̶̥̖̥̒̄̔͜ḅ̶̨̉̓į̸͚͗̈͝g̶̹̫̠̑̌ ̴̳̠̯͓͊̂ḃ̷̡̡̯̚r̸̤͖͆̓͝ͅͅo̶̥̤̒͂͘͜͝t̸̛̳̠̪̭͛̔͝ḧ̵̢͍͔̇̕e̵͉̮̳͈̾r̴̤͖͝!̷̰̳̠̰̏̽̚!̵̨̓!̴̨̦͎̮̊ ̵̧̍̄̈́͂P̷̩͎̯̈l̵̹̻̏͂̄͐ë̴͕́ȁ̷͖̖͉̜š̷̰̫̠e̸̲̎͐̈̕,̶͉͂̆͆̚ ̵̧̖̤͕͒̎͆͝ç̵͠ò̷̭͕̝͋m̸͈͍̐̀̔̑͜ę̸̈́ ̷͖̳̘̒̿́͝b̶̬̦̗͎͂̏͆̊a̷͙̟̝̣̾c̷̛̙̿̎̿k̶̛͈̍͊!̵͕͌͛̂̏!̶̢͇̜̎̇́
P̴͙̝̤͐̆̊͊L̷̤̮̺͠E̸̡̫̳͉͊́̀͂̚͠À̷̏͋̊̀͠ͅS̸̛͉̒̌̈̿̅Ė̴̙̩͎̺͔̬̼̄̇͒̏̅͗!̷̢̘͍̲͈͘!̴̲͔͐̄̓͘ ̴̻̹̤̏̉͐̈́̚Ḑ̸̲̰̣̟̬͋̈́͂́̋̾͘͜Ä̸̘͔̙̥̤̞́D̷̛̺͚̀͆̆̈́̈́̚͜!̶̻͖͕̫͎͑̂̌́̉!̴̩͙̟̱͔̈́́́̿̓͊̒ ̴̟̭̖̱͇́́̈́͋R̵̪̂̋̀̈͝O̸͚̮͔͉̦͖̖͂͋͘K̵̙̟̗̤̥̮̥̔̍̈̀̄̽̕Ù̸̻̞̦̋̽̾́͠͠T̴̗͉͚̟̿̿̅̉̉̈́̈́A̸̘̟̖̤̳͗͌͂̋̍!̸̡̪̎̿͋!̸̹̮͋̓͋ ̵̭̓͑̋H̸̹̤̙̩̙͂̔̕͝Á̶̡̫̠̈́ͅǸ̸̯̣̰̯A̵̬̘͓̱̓͆̀̏̚͘͠ͅK̴̫̩͉̣̱͕̿̓̈́̏́̕̚O̴͉̜̪͖̊͐!̵̛͖͚̳̞͗̈̕͜͜!̶̯̼̮͉͊͗̚͘ ̵̪̤̳̜̲̽S̸͓̖̉͛̌͆H̸̫̅̽̈͋̒͘Į̸̺͔̭͓̱̲̒̆G̷̡̛͖̥͓͎̔̂͜ͅË̷̻̜̬̗̟̟͠R̶̯͖̦̰̞̲͊͌̆̍̀͝U̶̧̗̣̥͔̳̖͗̎͌̊͆̚͝!̴͈̥̻̩͌͝!̴̢̫̠͙̿͊͝ ̴̳̜̜̥̘͍̓͌͌̐́̒̕T̶̝̙̟̉̈́A̸̛̟̣̠͗͂͐̒͆K̸̛̙̭͍̪͙̤̆̿̊̈E̷͚̤͕͉̗̠̜͂̓Ǫ̷̟̫̆̀̎!̵̟̭̉!̵̰̺̞̂̿̈́ ̸̱͙̃̎̀̀N̵̲͊͝E̸̩̘̣͈̿̔Z̵͉͆̚Ù̷̠̅ͅK̴̛̙̫̻͒͒̍̌͗Ȏ̵̫̹̝͆͛̎!̴̗͔͇̥̟̗͈̀̄͗̀̕̚͝!̴̲̬͍̿̄̄̇͜ ̴̮̭̠͝ͅA̷̰̩̯͎̓͛͛L̷̡͕̪̄̉̇L̸̹͚̏̃͋̈́͝͝ ̴̙̫͚̮̰͋͛O̴̟̔̈́̈́̑̌̍F̴̪͈̮̞̥̠̼̌̑̾̿̈́͆ ̷̻͇͙̹̍̚͘Ý̵̡̬̫͙̞͇̑̓̿̈́͐͘O̷̢̲̜̽̓̊̆̃Ú̶̧̟̘̍͠,̵͙̘͌̐̿̃͊̈́̕ͅ ̵̪̗͛̌̚P̸̭̖̘̺̰̭͆͆̒̊̊̚̚Ḻ̶̢̖͉͈̝̽̿̉̎͘Ę̵͔̾̏͛͗͛̈͆͜Ã̴̡̛̩̭́̆S̵͙̮̪̺͕̰̃̌͊̉͆͛͌Ę̶̱̞̘̽̓͑̽̚͠ ̷̰͉̃̚C̸̠̹̣̞̜̓͆̈̌̑͂̒O̷͓̜͛̑̀̊̅̔͑M̴͔̓̒̅̍Ë̴̱̟̙̼͘ ̸̱̪̰̞̥͚̗͛̾̅̀͊͂B̸̖͕̯̬͇̼̏͗͋͌̕Å̷̛̗̻̥̻̹̪͆̔C̵͕̫̪̺̀͋͗̃̓Ḳ̷̛̻̈́͛̍͋!̴̨̠̟̙̈́̇̃̂̔̔̕͜!̵͉̙͝!̶̻̖͖͂̈̉̀̋̚͜͝!̸̡͍̉̀͐̒
His thoughts of that time were torn away from him when he overheard the Intercom of the Train flare up.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving at Shibuya shortly.”
Oh. He was nearly at Destination.
Tanjiro looked over at himself briefly when he moved to grab his Smartphone.
He was so used to the more greyer colours of the hospital that just seeing himself actually wearing his checkered Green and Black Jacket was still getting some used to.
But he’d missed it. In fact, he’d honestly missed wearing this since…
…yeah, since a while.
“This is the last stop for this line.” The Female voice of the Intercom continued while he was in his own thoughts.
He turned on his phone's screen and looked over at the directions he was sent. But he couldn’t help but catch onto something that was being said as he did so.
“What? Are you for real? A mental shutdown?”
His eyes trailed over to a pair of two schoolgirls chatting, with the one holding her phone affirming it.
“It’s the truth!”
“To a person though?” Her Friend was understandably sceptical, “That’s gotta be a joke.”
Mental Shutdowns… well, this was news to him. And continuing to listen, it was growing pretty clear it wasn’t anything serious from the sound of it.
“You really love all that occult stuff, don’t you?”
Yeah, nothing too serious. Tanjiro’s attention drifted back from the conversation to his Phone so he could have the Map on.
He’d deeply need it.
And as the Train arrived at the Station, Tanjiro began to follow the direction the Map displayed to him.
All while trying to not wrinkle his nose at all the smells that assaulted it.
“Thank you for the Warning, Mom.” He mentally thanked her as he made his way through the Streets.
And while following the Directions, his mind began to wander back as to why he was even in Tokyo to begin with…
09/03/2016 - Wednesday
Morning
[ Persona 5 Soundtrack - Reminiscence ]
“Doctor.” A knock behind the Office Door was the warning the Doctor received that one of the nurses was there.
“Come in.” Prompted by it, the Nurse came in and closed the door behind her. At which point, she went straight to the point, not bothering to take a seat.
“You told me I was to monitor how well Kamado-San was doing since the start of the Year.”
The Doctor, seated on his desk, nodded as he listened closely to what the Nurse had to say.
“Ever since the New Years Eve visit of his Mother, he’d improved significantly better with his Mental Health. To a point where I believe he may be ready to be discharged.”
The Doctor found the report rather surprising. After all, Kamado had been here already for over 2 Years, so hearing that he’d improved significantly in a few Months when in the last 2 years, the recovery had taken a slow road…
Well, it confused him.
“That is a good thing to hear.” Still, that did not deny that things were improving for the boy now, if the Nurse had the impression he had actually gotten better.
He’d need to confirm this with his other fellow Doctors, but if this continued at this pace, then he’d be in agreement with the Nurse.
Things were looking up.
09/04/2016 - Saturday
Afternoon
[ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Soundtrack - Kanao Tsuyuri’s Strength ]
His condition had improved. Or at least, that’s what he’d been told when he was first told he’d be soon discharged.
The joy he’d felt then had been something he hadn’t known he could even feel at the time.
And so, Weeks later, here he was.
Walking the very Streets of Shibuya while following the Map so he didn’t get lost.
Walking by all sorts of people as well.
Many were suited or wearing School Uniforms. He saw a great many others in equally casual clothes like he himself had.
But most people had Black Hair colour. Those who didn’t stood out quite a bit as well, so he noticed someone with Pink Hair and Green Tips that was accompanied by a middle-aged man.
He didn’t think much of it beyond being surprised someone had that colourful hair and moved on with his destination.
That was how he would arrive at Shibuya Crossing. By seeing a great many people passing the whole street while the Lights were red.
He didn’t get much time to wonder about that before hearing the notification bell from his Phone. Curious about what it even was, he looked at his screen.
And then saw a Red Eye.
One that, without his input, grew to cover most of the screen.
“What even…” Tanjiro was confused as to what this was about. A bug perhaps? Or was his Phone, which was new, already breaking down?
Whatever it was, Tanjiro’s first instinct was to tap it, hoping he could remove it or something. He needed that map badly to continue his way.
And then things got weirder.
He actually smelled it first, because at one point, all types of smells he would normally be able to pick up on, even Emotions just… stopped.
[ Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo Soundtrack - Suspicion ]
It was like they vanished away. As if the people there weren’t there anymore, much to Tanjiro’s continued confusion.
Because when he looked up, no one was gone. And yet, everyone went on to freeze before his very eyes.
Everything went dead silent.
The Smells were gone. The people unmoving, and now, all his ears picked up on was his own Breathing and the sound of his Heartbeat.
He hardly felt the Sun as well.
Tanjiro felt like he was beginning to panic as his head snapped all over in an increasing panic that refused to subdue.
Then, his eyes landed on something.
Blue Flames. Off into the distance.
Shapeless at first, much to Tanjiro’s horror, the Blue Flames went to take a shape. Humanoid and scarily tall.
He couldn’t make out the details of this thing at all. All, but a single expression on where he roughly assumed was its face.
A smile.
Tanjiro smelled a singular thing emitting out of this thing when he noticed that smile. All the more powerful because it was the only thing his nose picked up on.
Glee
When it registered to his Brain, an image flashed before his very mind. As if it appeared in front of him.
An image of himself. But different still, for it overtook the face of this mass of Blue flames.
With Yellow Eyes and that very same gleeful smile…
[ Stop Soundtrack ]
And like a switch, just as quickly as it appeared, the image faded and suddenly, everything returned to him.
The horrible Smells. The sounds of the Crowd. The movement of all.
It was as if this scene he just witnessed had never happened.
“What the hell?” He couldn’t help it, he was just completely destabilized by this and said this aloud. Not that anyone really caught him doing that to begin with.
His eyes returning on the phone to see the Red eye still present, Tanjiro did the only thing he was certain must have been sane.
He threw it into the trash and deleted it.
With this odd vision lingering in his mind, he continued his way and tried to not have this bother him.
With limited success.
It didn’t truly hinder him from following the Instructions that would lead him to Yongen-Jaya, but he couldn’t help but think back on it again and again.
It’s why on the Train to his final destination, he decided to think back on the past. If only to have a moment away from the haunting scene he witnessed.
16/03/2016 - Wednesday
Afternoon
[ Persona 5 Soundtrack - Reminiscence ]
Tanjiro had grown rather accustomed to the Room he now occupied since he’d first arrived here.
It was only natural, since he’d been here for over two years now. Though it had never really felt… Home, so to speak.
Though just thinking of home reminded him of how hard it would be to ever return to a state prior to that.
His Father wouldn’t be there anymore.
Nor would his other Siblings. Rokuta. Shigeru. Hanako. Takeo. ̶̞̭͎͉̪̐͐̕N̴̡̗̗̎̎̈̎̉̕ę̵̧̟̯͙̟̈́̈́̀̾z̴̧̛͈̖͈͍͐̓͂̋͐́u̶̦͝ķ̴̧̛̈̄o̵̝͚͔͌̇͐͝.
The only one he’d have left is his Mother.
Just thinking of how a Family of Seven were now redacted to just Two made him incredibly sad.
Ṫ̸̠̺̲̃̅̎̈ȍ̶̧̧͔͈̞͕̬̻͛̀̊ ̴̙̦̣̈̀̓͐à̵͔͈͖͈̝̰̓̉̀̈́̇ͅ ̵̧̪̘̲͈̲̤̦͂̾̃p̸̢̗̭̦̠̎̀̏̎̋̓̃͆o̴͇̫̟̙͓̚i̵̢̮͉͎̍͆̌̆̈́̂͠n̴̢̛̼̤̎̈́͜͝ͅt̸̨̘͕͖̙̝̜͍̍͛̎̂̃ ̷̙̱̻͇́̈̅͊̽̕ḥ̵̭̤̣̔͘ȩ̷̨̺̦̜͙̮̳͂ ̷̗̝̹̲̏̍̈́͛̚w̵͇̝̪̟̲̯̬̄̓̽̅͋í̸̗͙̈́̽̄͊̇̾̍s̴̨̛̼͆h̷̛̭̘͎̭̗̆͜ę̶͍̞̽̒̾͊̉̊d̶̜̋̄́͐̓́͑ ̸̫̗̦̻̩̳̘͓͗̆̋̓̅̕͠t̵̪̪̟̫̝̊̔͗̽̐͂̕ǫ̵̛̓̋͊̕ͅ ̷̲͉̉̆͊̀͝͠͝͠d̵̘͈͙̈́̿̈́̌̕e̷̡͎̯̞̱̩̽̌͘͜ͅn̴͍͓̘̯͓͍̘̽̐͊͘y̴̧̢͕̳̪̻͍̰̔̋́͌̌.
But allowing himself to just… lie down and do nothing because he terribly missed his Family wouldn’t be something they’d be happy about either.
He was sure of it.
It took a while. T̶͎̘͝o̶̜̮̫̣͐͐̒̽͑͠ ̷̬̬̝͔͛̊͗͒̏̀̔̚l̸̟̺͚̈́́͝ơ̶̠͈̖̥̙͈̏̈́̑͑͆̚ņ̶̢̩͓̙̇̄̀ģ̴̟̉͒͌̈́.̷̤͎̠̌̀̃́̕ But Tanjiro felt… Well, he felt better. For a lack of better term, since the start of this year, it was almost like he’d received a new start.
It took a bit for it to be noticed. Tanjiro didn’t just spring back up as if nothing happened.
The sadness remained. The regrets were still there. And the scene…
Ḃ̷̛̻l̶͕̤̃͝o̴̞̝̯͇͆̄͑͘͠ǫ̴̖͊̏͜d̸͖͕͈̼̫̋̈́̆̿.̸̨̯̞̬̠͇̀̀̿̒̿̊̃ͅ ̷͔̭̮̳̹̌́̆͐̔̄͆L̴̙̈́̌̀̆̾̑̕͝ȉ̸̛̦̠̭͎̅̕f̵̬̟̖̟͇̔̊̐̐̅e̴̪̖̾̽̂͐͂͋͝l̷̺̽͝e̷͉͐͑̃̍̌̉s̸̨̨̝̼̰͚͑̎͒̏̌s̴̜̞̪̎̽́̔̆̄̌͝.̵͚̉̀͠ ̷̡̛͚̘͕͕̤̙̰̓̿̈́͂͠D̶̤̐e̸͎̓̓å̶̢̜̲͎̓̓t̶̢͕̞̜͖͇̽̈́̅͌͘͘̕h̵̡̨̯͇̹͘.̸̢͔͔̮̞̻̅̎͋̏̈̏̏ ̸̢̺̙̜̭͈͇͙̓͆͛̕D̵̛̼̞̲͙͉̓̎͆͘E̶̢̜̘̺̫̱͕̋̆͜Ä̶̢͇̘́̇͑͗́̂̎Ț̸̝̪̙͔̑͒H̶̡͆̔͜!̸̢̙̮̉ ̸͖̬̲͔̪̮͊̈́̀͆͜Ẹ̵̤͛V̴̠̰̬͈̅E̸̛̤͈̮͍͊̽̍͛̑̆̚͜R̴̞̓Y̴͚̽͐͊͑̚W̶̡͎̲̠̏͗͊̄̇̑̓̓ͅḨ̵̼̖̹̲͍̐̒́̋̎̃͊ͅȨ̶̨̫̗̱͚̍̋̂͒͘͜ͅR̴̨̡̯̟̺̝̅È̶̢̨̨͓̝̳͔̻̒̅͝!̸̧̨̱̖̠͉̻̏̾̉ͅ!̵̫̋͌͗̑̎̿!̵̞̘̬̼̈́͛͑̉̆͝ ̶̬̣̝̝̺̩̏̇̾̓̒M̸̭̼̰͚̝̭͋ͅị̴̙̊͆̀̌s̸̨͇̠̲̗̜̻̐́̌̈͐̃̏̔s̵̢͇̰͙͖̦͖̈́͒̈͜͝i̴͓͈̋n̸͈̰̖͙̏͛͊͛͑g̶̨̢̝̣̺͕̔͐̀́̿ͅ.̷̬̟̮̦͖̏͌̉͐̆ ̸̖͔̃̂͌̉̑̽͠Ḡ̷̢̭͔̟̥͈̒͋̄́̓͛͝ơ̴̩̻̟̗̣̯͛̄̓̈́̏͝n̷̬̠̙͇̲̺̈̆e̴̙̖͎̯̤͂͜ͅ.̴̡̳̭̹̗̳̃̓̎̿̔͒̆ ̸̯́͋̅B̴͓̜̙̰͖͖̝̦͂̍̀͊̒̇̕͝é̶̲̞̺̝͓̯̦̉̇̀̾͝͝f̷̘̲͇̓̅̈́̽̈́͋́ͅó̶̪̟̗̘̙͆r̴͍̻͍̪͑́͠ę̴̢͔̞͈́̚͜ ̶͓̬̮̗̽̋̏̊͛h̸̞̬̳̓̋̾͒̔͌͝i̷̡͖͚͇̫̱͎̎̎̊̏̎š̵͚͚͇̮̅͠ ̵̢̪̭͂̿͊̃̚̕͜v̸̼̘̞̪͋̈́̀̈́̈́͜é̶̬̞̘̈́r̵̛͖͕̝͋̋̑̊͐ͅy̴͖̲̠̜̌͜ ̵̡̦̂e̵͍̭͕̤̯̿͆̍̓̅̚͝ÿ̶̥́̀̽̎̒͜͝ȩ̵̣̝̈́́̄̀̓͛ͅs̴̖̎̽͝!̵̻̗͓̬̬̄
…it was nothing pretty.
But things had improved. And the Doctors had noticed. And as of today, his Life would change.
He would only hear mentions of this conversation from his side of things. But at that moment, a meeting was taking place.
“So, what do you all think about Kamado-San’s recovery?” A nurse questioned her peers and superiors as they arrived to the topic of the teen that had started making noticeable improvement to his mental health.
“Honestly… it is clear that at the very least, Kamado is trying and succeeding so far in his recovery. But I can’t deny that his ability to begin healing feels concerningly out of nowhere.” One doctor said as he finished doing a stack of paperwork, sighing in exhaustion as he leaned back into his chair.
“I can’t say I disagree. However, the improvement cannot be ignored, especially over the course of this week.” A nurse commented while she finished making a cup of coffee for everyone in the room.
“Then… what do you think we should do with Kamado-San at the moment?” A 3rd nurse questioned everyone, getting them all to think things over a bit.
“I think we should wait for a bit longer before coming to a decision. After all, while he can handle the occasional mention of his family now, the kid still has panic attacks when they are mentioned.” Another doctor suggested, getting the man that had been in charge of Tanjiro’s care at the start to hum and nod his head.
“It is probably for the best. Plus, Kamado-San has missed out on much since the start of his over 2 year long stay in this hospital, so it would be smart to catch him up on things first.” The doctor suggested, and after a moment of everyone looking at each other, each of the doctors and nurses nodded in agreement.
“In that case, I’ll go and call his mother and get her input on the idea, and inform her of her son’s current progress.” A nurse offered, getting the doctor sitting next to her to nod his head.
“We appreciate the offer.” The doctor said as the Nurse left the room to find one of the phones that the hospital allowed for public use, or one on a desk. Whichever one the woman found first.
09/04/2016 - Saturday
Afternoon
[ Persona 5 Soundtrack - Beneath the Mask ]
“Yongen-Jaya. We have arrived at Yongen-Jaya.” Hearing the announcement was able to snap Tanjiro out of his thoughts, causing the teen to stand up from his seat while the train finally stopped. And once it did, the doors automatically opened, allowing the Kamado and others to get out, while a few others began to get in so they could go where they planned to.
“Close to my temporary home now.” Tanjiro muttered quietly to himself, before shaking his head and heading to the escalator that would lead him out of the Subway Platform. And once he was out, the Kamado quickly broke away from the large group of people entering or leaving the Subway and began to breath in a bit.
“This place is a lot more overwhelming than I thought.” The teen thought to himself, but after a few moments of performing the breathing exercises he was taught during his recovery in the hospital, until he eventually calmed himself down.
“At least the residential area that Sakura-San is living in shouldn't be too far. Hopefully, it’s a bit more calm there than here though.” Tanjiro thought to himself after looking at the map on his phone once again, and began to walk to his desired location.
Though, as he did so, he noticed a short woman with a butterfly hairpin walking ahead of him.
But once Tanjiro finally arrived at the backstreets of the residential area Sakura-San lived at, the Kamado stopped paying attention to that woman to look at his phone again, but instead of seeing the map on the screen, he saw the address of the man who he would be living with for a while.
“Well, may as well ask for some directions to Sakura-San’s house.” And with that thought, Tanjiro walked a bit further down the path before him, and once he noticed the Police Officer looking around further down the path, the Kamado approached the man.
“Excuse me sir.” Tanjiro called out, earning the officer’s attention, and getting the man to roll his eyes and look at the boy.
“What is it kid?” The man said a little dismissively, causing Tanjiro to frown a bit at the response. But he pushed aside his feelings towards it for now.
“I’m currently looking for Sakura-San’s home. Do you know where he lives sir?” The young man answered before asking the question, getting the officer to raise his eyebrow at that.
“Sakura-San’s home, huh? Well, it’s in an alley a bit further. Take a right after that apartment with the stairs there, can’t miss it.” The Police Officer explained and even pointed at the spot he was talking about, getting Tanjiro to nod before briefly bowing to the man in thanks.
“Thank you for the help.” He said before walking over where Sakura-San’s home should be according to the officer passing by a few people and even a woman and daughter pair that had a dog sitting in between them.
And once he did so, he quickly found himself standing in front of a house, and after a quick check on his phone, found that this was indeed the residence of Sakura-San.
More of a Traditional looking home from the outside, left especially obvious from the Front Door which were Tatami Mats. And a small Garden outside with stone walls and a Gate. Fit the description he was told in fact.
It also helped that the nameplate also says “Sakura”, so it was likely that this was indeed the house of Sojiro Sakura.
“Well, time to meet my Guardian for the year.” Tanjiro thought as he reached out and rang the doorbell to the house, causing the expected sound from the action to ring out.
It took a bit for someone to actually answer the door, and in-between that point, Tanjiro rang the Doorbell again just to be sure.
But someone did answer approximately two minutes later.
The Entrance opened and revealed a young man with dark coloured hair, dark blue eyes, and a pale complexion.
His Clothes were pretty average, with the only thing standing out actually being a Dark Blue Tracksuit he wore over the Ill-matched clothes as his jacket.
The Young Man stopped his advance in front of the Gate, at which point, Tanjiro took his chance to bow.
“Hello there. Are you Sakura-San?” Tanjiro greeted the man as well before asking him curiously.
The Man stared at him for a moment, considering something. And with his nose, Tanjiro caught on the faint scent of uncertainty amidst all other scents in his vicinity.
It was hard to tell with how much his nose caught.
''Technically Tomioka Sakura, but yes.'' The dark-haired man answered, looking slightly uncomfortable as he did so, yet he otherwise seemed fine.
Tanjiro was just really glad he got the right destination. He didn’t think much of Sakura-San having a middle name and instead introduced himself.
“My name is Kamado Tanjiro. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The teenager introduced himself with a smile, making Sakura-San blink in semi-muted surprise as he grabbed his phone and checked something.
Probably the date of his arrival.
Once his eyes drifted away from the Phone, his expression went absolutely still. And Tanjiro couldn’t quite make out what this scent he now gave off was.
“I’m gonna need to get used to this.” He thought to himself, slightly irked that his sense of smell wasn’t going to work as effectively as he was used to.
But that just meant he had to get used to City Life. It’d get back to how he was used to, he’s sure.
“I see.” Sakura expressed at first, momentarily leaving way for awkward silence before he headed back in.
And Tanjiro was so confused by that.
“...did he just…?”
That particular worry turned out to be unfounded, because Sakura returned almost right then with keys.
Specifically, the Gate keys to unlock them.
“Come in.” Sakura uttered as he pulled the gate and allowed him entry inside.
“Thank you!” Tanjiro replied with that as he stepped through. At which point, Sakura closed the Gate behind him and locked it again.
Tanjiro didn’t head inside the House proper though, as he waited and left Sakura head into his home first. It was the polite thing to do.
He said nothing to it and walked in, Tanjiro followed suit in that same silence.
Led in, Tanjiro could already see that the Traditional outlook of this home somewhat spread over to the inside as well. Though there was also a more modern approach here.
The Front however was decidedly Traditional. Because Sakura took off his footwear over a Genkan. Though he then backtracked past him so he could lock the door with his keys.
Tanjiro profited to take off his shoes while that was going on. And all the while, it made him remember his own Home.
Ò̷̐͊̈́̀̎ͅn̵̩̰͚̼͓͛́͂͆͗͂́c̷̡̡̙̠̯͙̠̍͂̾͊è̴͚̲̼̦̰̞͔̐̚ ̵̞͚̪̬̬͊̾̈́f̸̨̗̗̭̾͒̓̈́̕̕͘i̴̻͈͎̭͐̐̽͑̀́́l̵̟͌͌̊͜ḻ̷̨͇͎͔͊̐̓͝͝ę̷̧̤̳͔̍͛̊̑͝ḑ̵̨̜͚̈̈́̇.̷͖̝̺̹͈̥̤͗̅͌͠
The Kamado’s had transitioned from a Traditional Home to a more Western approach once they’d moved away due to their old home just not being big enough to fit in a new member of the Family.
N̴͍͍̣͒̊̀̌̋͘e̶̳͙͉̮̋̇̾̂z̶̨̉̑̀͋͐ŭ̷̼͍͓͓̻̼̆̀̆̑͠k̴̤̏̾̔o̶̫̗͙̼̥̮̐̋̈́͘ͅ ̵̫͈̲̍͌͜͠h̴͕̭̝̙͔̜̿a̶̧̧̨̜̯̣̘̓̏d̴͍͌̂ ̶̯̥̣̥̍͑̌͆͗̐͑b̴̪̓̌̇̒e̷̜̙̞̼͗ḙ̸̤̾͗ǹ̸̹͚̫̪̳̬̟̍͐ ̷̭͍̲͎̄̽́̑ṣ̶̜̮̿̽͋̉͜͝ơ̷̼̞̣̭̾̃͘͝ ̴̨̣̯̳̫̼̪̈́̽̅̃̚͘h̷̼̹̉̈́͜ȁ̴̲̞̩̍̉̌p̷̝̲͎̠̙͖͊p̴̢̨̺̈̾̎̍̚y̷̡̧̧̙̞̾ ̴̻̣̻̜͐ͅt̶̖̥̲͈͙͎̆̄͝ỏ̴̟̥̩̙̦͍ ̷̺̘̱̆l̶̡̠̩͚͓̞̉̈́͑e̴̱̠̖̼͉̅̌̋͆̐̏ͅa̴̛̤̞͓͊̑̉ȑ̷̢́̈̅͝n̸̟̠̼͆͗́ ̸͙̲̭͆͗̈̋̓̏͘š̴̭̝͓͚̩̫͍͂̒́̚͘͠h̷̛͚͊͆̏ȩ̵̭̯̠̩̌̋'̶̻̲͙͂d̷͕̹̼͕̟̰̙͑ ̶̡̮̱͍͎̮̫̏̓̂̕b̸̺̜̗̓͐̀̅̂̀̐e̶͓͓̬̯̮͓͑̉̉ͅc̷̢̹̈́̈́́̏̍̐ȏ̵̦̗̳̥̝̋̓͋m̷̮̬̝̤̥̑e̶̫̩̾̕ͅ ̴̟̦̥͛̅͒͂̐ā̸̡̡̡̞̟͈́̏̑̉̆͠ṅ̷̲̠̝͍̞̻̦͗ ̷̤͓̦̒̋̕͠o̷̼̲̩͓͔̳̍̄͊̚l̵̺̯̰̙̩̓̈́̀̈̾d̶̩̼̖̬̲̈̈ͅë̸͚̙͈́̈́̿͐͑͘ͅr̶̼͔̩̞̫͖̒́͜ ̷̢̫̬͉̘͝s̷͕̰̟̫̘͎͆͛͐͋ï̸͎̓̌̂̌͠ṡ̴̭̻̮̰t̷͎̳̠̱̞͆̈́̾͗̕̕͜ͅe̷̢̠̱̞̩̾́͂̊ͅŗ̶̨̡̪̻̺̫̍̓̑̕.̶͈͔̙̫̓̆̇
So this was a rather nostalgic feeling. Even more so since it had been… a decade, if his memory was right.
It was still hard, to think of it as ten and not eight. T̷̤̭̩̼̑̊͜͠ͅo̵̞̫̳͓̮͕̽ ̶̨̗̟͚͓͍̤͘u̴̡̳̽͋͛ñ̵̠̤̮̩̤́͋͑d̷̡̺̩̽̎̏̈́̉͂͝ȩ̸̼̲̃͌̒͛̊͜͜r̶̨̰͍̗̮̼̓s̶̜͚̠̃t̵̯̼̭͚̩͂a̵͍͈̰̣͚̝͒n̵͈͎̰̥͎̙̄́̚ḏ̷̘͎̪̖͕̜̅ ̶̛̗̻̭̥̖ţ̷̩͓̼͂̐h̷̝͑á̷͉̠̪̭̜͆̈̾͂̄ͅt̷̨̛̘͖̙̪̻̏̀̈́ ̶̢̩͖͊̍̐ẗ̴͍̼̈́̆̊́̈̚h̶̪̻̤͓̰͋͝ë̵̛̬̞͎̯́̔̈̏ͅy̸̪̲̩͚̿̾̐͝͝͝'̷͓̯̟̬͖̜͕̓͒͆̃͐v̶̡̧̼̟̱̱̭́̈ë̴̡͕̠̹͈̟̞́͗̒ ̶̨͈̯̯̜̃̈́̕͝b̶̨͔̥̤̜̀̃͆͘̚͜͝e̴̡͈̺̓ȩ̴̼̩̦͛̈́͑͑̚͘n̶̡̛̼͚̞̺̋̄͝ ̸͔̜̟͖̣̥̱̋͗͋g̶̨̡̹̹͌̀ơ̴̧͓͙͌̌̈́͝n̴̡͍̠͛͜e̴͉̱̭̠̔ ̸̠̼̟̀̍̿̓̊͝f̵̼̱̥͚̪̾̓͗͗̀ơ̷̢̡̘̹̣̮̣̄̉̋̌̽̂r̷͓̙̒̀ ̵̪̺̭͙̾͊͊͛̐o̵͚̣̹̟̰̒̐̀͜͠v̵̛̗̝̜̬͔̤̆̑͠e̶̞͋̅̆r̸̡͗̾̽ ̵̦̥̦̹̗͔̮͆t̴͉͇͍̜͖̗̊̓͜w̴̧̃͌͒ȏ̸̡̨͕̙̪͖̩̔̈́̀͝͝ ̴̰̌͊y̵̡̙͉͓̋̀̈́͂́͘ẻ̷̢̖̘̜͇̰͝á̴͎ȓ̶̢̭͋͠s̴̢͉̥̦̦͋ͅ ̷̱̺̳͔̫̀̆͝a̸̛̙̲̾͊͋͌̑l̶̡̘̩̱͙̞̪̎r̷̞̀̓̐͘ȩ̵̛̥̇̾̾a̶̜͖̜͎̼̽̾̃́̃͂ͅḏ̶̢͔̗̞̰͈̈́̆͘ẏ̴̝̪̯̜͈͆̈́̈́̉̊.̴̡̙̙̞͕̲͈́͌͗
His train of thought shifted when he noticed Sakura moving past him and heading up the stairs. Only uttering out an almost missed “Follow me.”
And he planned to do so, but his ears caught on to a sound. One he realized, came from a door further back.
“A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it!” He understood then it came from a TV in said Room.
Perhaps Sakura had been watching it before his arrival?
“The citizens can’t live in peace if this keeps up.” The host of the Tabloid Show vocally lamented after that. A sentiment Tanjiro began to share, even though his thoughts weren’t all focused on the shared sentiment.
“If this keeps up?” Tanjiro muttered out. How often had that happened to-?
“Hey.” Sakura’s voice came to his ears, with Tanjiro turned to see him standing on the staircase, “Your Room is upstairs.”
Oh. Right. He was supposed to follow Sakura-San, not… what he just did.
“Ah. Sorry!” Tanjiro apologized, and received no further words as Sakura headed back upstairs. This time, with Tanjiro following.
He was met with a mostly similar formation as downstairs, though instead of immediately seeing a path straight, he had to then turn to his right to see the hallway.
What he hadn’t noticed from sight alone, but one he would see by just following Sakura, was that the Hallway was slightly shorter.
And that was because at the end of the road, it forked on the right and left. Sakura took the left, and so did he. Giving way to a normal sized path with a single door from his left.
Abruptly, Sakura halted in his tracks and turned back to look at him.
“Most of your Belongings were already sent, right?”
Tanjiro nodded, “Yes. Besides my backpack, everything has already been sent.”
Sakura nodded as he continued the short stretch. He stopped in front of the door, and then hesitated.
Why, Tanjiro didn’t know, but he could not only see it, but smell it much clearer here than if he were outside.
It didn’t last as Sakura held the door handle and opened it.
“This will be your Room.” At which point, with little hesitation, he showed Tanjiro his room for the year.
The Room was mostly cubic in terms of form, though it stretched a bit ahead horizontally from him to add in this rectangular feeling.
On his right, against the Walls, was the Bed. Furnitured with everything you’d imagine a Bed should have.
On his left, created from within the Wall, was his Closet. It was opened by Sakura as well to display the Cardboard box with all his Belongings.
Right in front of him was a desk. It was positioned next to the only window of this Chamber, and a small lamp was set up on the right side of the Table.
Overall, he had all the basics one could ask.
“The place was cleaned up a bit ago, so you don’t need to worry about washing for now.” Sakura added after a moment of quiet observation.
Something Tanjiro greatly appreciated.
“Thank you!” So Tanjiro thanked him. Happy that for now, things were going relatively smoothly.
But Sakura did look rather torn at the thank you he received. In fact, he could smell a particular scent.
That of feeling undeserving.
He didn’t really know why though. But ultimately, Sakura accepted it.
“You welcome.”
With those words said, Sakura moved to head out. Probably to give him privacy to unpack in fact. But with how much had already been done for him, he decided to speak up.
“Is there anything that you will need help with?” Tanjiro asked just before Sakura-San left his line of sight, causing the man to pause a bit in surprise. But after a moment, he turned around to face the Kamado.
“...I do need to go shopping to restock on food and throw away some trash. So while I do the shopping, can you handle the trash?” Sakura-San said before asking his question, getting the teenager to nod his head with a smile.
“It will be no problem at all, Sakura-San.” Tanjiro said, getting the dark-haired man to nod at the words.
“Then you can find some bags to use in the bottom drawer to the left side of the kitchen once you get there. Also, all of the trash that needs to be thrown away are all in bins, so you won’t need to look for them too much.” The man told Tanjiro before then beginning to move again, leaving Tanjiro’s line of sight.
“So that’s what Sakura-San is like….” Tanjiro spoke to himself quietly, before then shaking his head and putting his bag down next to the bed, at the side of it to be specific.
“Well, time to help him out as thanks for taking me in.” The Kamado though before exiting his room for the year, and began to look for the kitchen and after just a minute, he found it.
But as Tanjiro grabbed a bag and approached a bin, his mind began to wonder back to when it was decided that he’d be put into Sakura-San’s care.
23/03/2016 - Wednesday
Afternoon
[ Persona 5 Soundtrack - Reminiscence ]
“Kamado-San. Are you doing well?” Hearing a nurse speak from his side, Tanjiro looked up from one of the books that the hospital provided him to catch back up on the things he missed out on during his 2 year long stay here. And in doing so, he saw that the nurse was one that began helping him a few months into his stay here, and that she was holding a clipboard in her hands.
“Oh! Yeah, I’m doing okay. Just… a few things in these books are a little confusing if I am honest.” Tanjiro answered the nurse, getting the woman to smile at the boy as she walked over and sat down on the chair next to the Kamado’s hospital bed.
“That is good to hear. Though, don’t feel worried about not understanding some things, since it’s understandable given what you have been through.” The Nurse assured him, getting the teenager to relax a little at the reassurance.
“Thank you. But is there something you need?” The Kamado thanked the woman before asking curiously, to which the nurse nodded her head.
“Indeed, though it is more to inform you of something than anything else. Simply put Kamado-San, with the rate that your recovery has been going since the start of this year, we believe that you can soon be discharged. Though… given other factors, a decision has been made and your mother has agreed to it.” The nurse explained to him, keeping her voice even and professional, but also gentle as she began to explain things.
“Really? Then what is going to happen?” Tanjiro asked the nurse in confusion, getting the woman to sigh before showing him a piece of paper on the clipboard, and as he began reading it, she spoke up again.
“Simply put, we have come to the decision to temporarily place you under another’s care for a year after you are discharged. This is because we are concerned that, at the moment, heading back to your home will cause a panic attack that will ruin your progress.” The nurse told him, with Tanjiro needing a moment to actually process that.
And honestly… he could admit to himself at least that going home kind of scared him. Because while his mom was there… no one else was.
There would be no dad that could make everyone relax with only a few kind words. There would be no Rokuta to watch over and see him slowly learn to walk and talk more properly. There would be no Shigeru and Hanako getting into mischief together while demanding attention. There would also be no Takeo, who so clearly cared despite how he may present himself.
A̶̢̱̜̝̦̤̎ṉ̴͕̂͝d̷͙̺̯͉̗́ ̸̯̘̠̬́͊͒̂̿̎͘t̵̲͊͌̐͆̇͝h̵̟̠͇̀̍̋̀͒͂͝ĕ̷̖̫͍̤̼͙͌́̀̒͠ͅŗ̵̰̜̯̊̓ȩ̶̛̱̹̻͚̑̉̂̃̃͑ ̵͙̽̈́͒w̸̢̜̹̒̒̑o̸̮̯̯̾̓̈́̑͆̒͝ů̸͕̮̠̬̘̠͔͂̎͠͝l̵͉̝̪̝̞̐̊̽̓͛̑̑d̸͖̫̳̫͋̏̌̒̒ ̶̖͕̙̜͇̬̌̀̒̃͊̚͝b̷͙̤̭̬̉̏̽͝ͅē̵̪͐̈́ ̵̟̮̗͔̞̇͋͝n̵̪̟͉̙̩͔̚o̴͍̖͓͐̌͒ ̶͕̦̈N̸̩̭̻̑̃̓̂̓̀̾͜è̸̢̹͚͔͑͜z̶̖̞͓͎̖̠̎̏͒̕͝͝u̴̮̝͙̺͚̘͆͊̽̅͜k̸̫̩͎͇͐̀̏͒̅̏͝ọ̷̧̀̽̂ ̸̧̦͎̗̈̈́͆̾̓̐̀ͅt̷̗̼̻̱͖͓̲̀͆̑͑ó̴͍̹̺̓̇̑́ ̸̛̥̟̗̩͌͊͒͝͝ḧ̷̞̱̼͚͉́ē̶̬̠͑̉͝l̸̛͎̏͊̑̐p̶͕̹̿̿̈́̕ ̴̨̫̭͍͙̭̈́̔ḧ̴̢̛̲̟̠̼̰́̃ĭ̵̤͙̻͇͂̌͒͜ṃ̶̣̔͐̕ ̵̨̛̬̻̗̽̕ẃ̶͕̽͂̿̐̈̇i̶̜͆́́͝t̷̫͈̥̓̍́̔̑̀ḩ̷̫̩̞͕̅ ̴͓̜̞̹̖͍̓͆̾̒̕t̵̨͎̖̎́̓̅̈͜h̷̭͌̃́̽̀͝e̸̳̺̟̼͎̿͊̓̉̇̚͜ì̵̝͓̪̈͠r̷̛̭̦̺̥̬ ̴̡̗͙̯͍̈y̷͙͗̓̔̾o̷͌̊͑̾͗̓͂ͅú̸͔̟̋̈́̃͛͐n̶͖̖̥̏g̴̖̭̝̱͖͆͒͑̊͑̚e̸̛͔͉͔̲͔̮̓̆͗͗̕͜͝r̶̢̛̝͈͇͉̗̽̔͆ ̵̡̒s̸̭̫̪̬̭͇̙͊͝i̶͔̾̌̔́̆b̷͍͓͈̲͛l̶͙͔̥̠̬̅̋̀̔̕͜͜ḭ̷̾̀ņ̴̤̯̍͝g̴̥̝̩͍̭͋̏̇̐͒̃s̵̥͔̉͌̿̿̾̍̒,̷̨͔̜͔̈́̍ ̵̠̬̞̹̈́̏̓̐ŵ̷̤̤̼̜̓̍͜͠ͅͅi̷̢̥͎̤̤̙̓͐̈̂̎̊͝ͅt̴̰̂̈́͌̕͠͝ḩ̸̦̺̞̒̚ ̷̯̤̱̏h̵̯̰̹̝̊̋e̵͖̼͉̾r̶̜̱̱̥̰̀̽͜ ̴̡̝̱̘̦̘̲̐͊́s̸̤̣̖̞̝̐̃͠t̶̘̼̼͓͛̈̽͗̿̅͒r̴̨̞͉͎͙̖̅͋̎o̶͈̥̟͈͌̈́̕͝ń̷̺̹̺̙͖̺̈́́ǧ̸̤̬̬͍͉̣͚̈́͛̈́͐ ̸̨̗͇͓̝̬̃̉̌̔̎d̵̲͎̼̪͑̆e̴̪̹̖̿̅̐̌̃ś̶̻͋̏̆͌̀̋ì̵̦͙͔̱̾r̴̡͙̠̩̳̓̂ẽ̴̤̹̀̂ ̴̟̟̖͙͖̰̈́͌͆̅ṱ̵̝̘̮͚̘̥̔́̆̊̈́ȏ̶̡̰̙̰̟͚̂͐̍͠ ̵̢̛̛̩̱̦̝̭̬̿̄̏͊͝p̶̛̩̪̟͖̐̊͒̎̂̕r̵͈̪͙͈͎͈͖̄́o̷͇̮͊͐̚͝t̵̲͈̘̎̾̇͘͝ĕ̴̢͕͙͈̺̝͆̕ç̷̝͍̙̠̀̌ṯ̵̘̪̏̂̊̑ ̸͉̊̀̓͊̀̐͜ĕ̴͙͖̬͜v̶̟̬̔͋̽̿̓̀̕e̵̢̫̻̺̺̹̒͜r̵͖̣̟̼̙̼̙̉͛̆y̴͔̹̝̹͇̤̓̋̆́̓ͅo̷̢̬͌̒́̈́͜ṉ̷̛̻͐ė̵̟̠̼̹̖̭͆̌̍͒̒̎.̵̛̠̰̾͒̾̓̓
It… going to his old home would just feel so hollow without them.
“Do… do you know who I’ll be living with in that case?” Tanjiro questioned her after a moment, getting the nurse to smile more clearly, obviously being happy that this didn’t seem to trigger a bad reaction.
“While your temporary guardian hasn’t been finalized yet, it currently does look like a man by the name of Sojiro Sakura will take you under his care. After all, we are still going through everyone that has offered to do this.” The woman explained to him, causing Tanjiro to smile in thanks to her.
“Thank you. For… well, everything really.” Tanjiro said, getting the woman to roll her eyes a little with a small chuckle.
“Kamado-San, you don’t have to thank any of us. After all, we are just people doing our jobs.”
09/04/2016 - Saturday
Evening
“Huh. You really did get rid of all the trash.” Hearing Sakura-San speak with some surprise in his voice, Tanjiro turned around once he heard the man and saw him with 2 plastic bags that held newly bought food within them.
“Yep. Considering how I will be living here for the year, I thought that it would only be fair to help out around the house as thanks.” Tanjiro explained with a smile while rubbing the back of his head a little, which made Sakura-San stare at him for a bit before nodding his head.
“Alright then. While you are here, mind helping me put everything away? This bag holds only the stuff that needs to go into the fridge, so that should be a little easier on you.” He said, holding out the bag in his right hand as he did so, getting Tanjiro to nod as he took the offered bag without a word.
What followed that though, was honestly just silence as the two put all of the cans, drinks and etc in the appropriate places within the kitchen. The only real words spoken while that was happening, was really just Sakura-San asking Tanjiro to pass him something that the teen was closer to at the moment, and not really much else.
But just as they finished putting everything away, they both heard the sound of the Tatami Mats being slid open and then closed, and when Tanjiro looked curiously to see who came in, he was a little surprised.
[ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Soundtrack - Zenitsu’s tantrum and Murata’s complaints ]
Mainly because the one who entered was an older, middle-aged man with some clear wrinkles on his face, with a receding hairline, grey eyes and a chinstrap beard with a goatee that flares out. His clothing consisted of a pair of glasses, a pale pink dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, pale khakis held up with a white leather belt, white loafers and a white two-button blazer and a white trilby.
“Hm? Oh, didn’t see you both there for a moment. Are you doing okay Giyu?” The old man said before Tanjiro or Sakura-San could speak, but any question Tanjiro was about to ask was stopped and confusion grew at his guardian being called ‘Giyu’.
“I’m… okay Sojiro. Was just really caught off guard when Kamado arrived.” Sakura-San said, and hearing the older man be called Sojiro…
“Huh?”
His brain fried. Hearing the one who he’d called Sakura-San this whole time but then seeing someone else be called that was confusing him already as is.
It wasn’t helped that the one who’d just now been called Sojiro turned to look at him.
“Yes, I’d imagine.” The middle-aged man went on to address Tanjiro while taking off his jacket, “Welcome. I wish I had been here when you arrived, but work held me up longer than I’d have liked.”
Ok brain. Reboot. Now. He needed that to function because he was so confused.
“It’s… alright. Sakura-San.”
It wasn’t. At all. Had he… wait, that meant he’d mistaken this Giyu’s identity since…
“Oh God…” Tanjiro wanted to palm his face but held back on doing so. Only hoping his cringing expression wasn’t noticeable.
Sojiro, the actual one, looked over at Giyu.
“Were you able to show him his Room?”
He received a nod.
“I did.” That was all he said, and Sojiro accepted that answer.
“Good, then that’s already dealt with.” Sojiro headed up the stairs, though he halted to look back.
“When I’m back down, I’ll be preparing Dinner.”
Both Tanjiro and Giyu nodded as Sojiro headed up to his room. At which point, the most briefest silence settled between them.
Then, an embarrassed Tanjiro turned to stare at Sakura-San.
“…you weren’t Sojiro.”
Casually, Giyu affirmed this.
“I wasn’t.” His expression remained completely even, “But I admit, I didn’t figure out you were mistaking me for Sojiro until later.”
While he was out shopping in fact. Before then, he’d fallen into the same pit as Tanjiro had.
And yet, Tanjiro only turned redder from the embarrassment.
“Oh great…”
He really shouldn’t have assumed that Sojiro Sakura was living alone. In fact, the fact he was told “Tomioka Sakura” was the more correct term should have clued him in.
And he still hadn’t figured it out.
“Well… I’m going to die of shame, I think.”
Amazing. Just absolutely amazing. There were a great many ways today could have gone, but Tanjiro’s sure this absolutely topped them all.
He never imagined “Mistaking someone for his Guardian” would ever be a thing, but here he was.
“I’m sure that shame will die first.” He’s absolutely not sure if this was meant to be reassuring or not, but Tanjiro took Giyu’s words as helpful.
“Well I sure hope so.”
It was soon after that Sojiro returned downstairs, not really having changed into anything as he briefly stared at Tanjiro’s red face. The faint smile he gave told enough.
“Alright. Giyu, you’ll be helping me for tonight. I want to make it a bit special to welcome Tanjiro, as I’m sure he could do with a filling meal after his travel.”
He could do with that, yeah.
Giyu simply nodded when Sojiro addressed him.
“Did you have time to unpack everything?” When Sojiro asked Tanjiro this question, he was reminded that he had unpacked… well, nothing.
He’d been busy enough with his other task at the time it had just slipped his mind.
“Oh. I… didn’t. I’ll do that right now before I forget it again.”
That was how Tanjiro split apart from Giyu and Sojiro as he himself now headed upstairs to his room. A room that could do with some decoration.
Though for now, he moved the cardboard box out of the Closet before opening it and staring at what he had inside.
Clothes and daily necessities for the most part. Including the School Uniform for the School he’d transfer to.
Some books to and-
[ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Soundtrack - Nezuko’s Lullaby (Slow Version) ]
“Oh.”
Rummaging over what was in there, he was surprised to see Earrings.
Namely, his Father’s Hanafuda Earrings. They were set within a small glass frame to protect them.
“…I really miss you dad. You and everyone.” Tanjiro said with a sad smile as he looked at the Hanafuda Earrings for a good minute as he thought something over.
“Should I… no. I can’t lose these mementos of everyone.” He decided, looking to the desk by the window, and walked over to it and placed the glass frame showing off the earrings on it.
It was weird to see them not in his Father’s ears even now, but at the same time, it felt more right to see them in good condition. To see that something had persisted even now.
Unlike…
Tanjiro moved over his backpack and grabbed something out of it. A possession of his that he’d had since the Incident in question.
“You really saw better days.” He muttered out as he pulled a burned Manga. It’s cover a mystery, since its front and back were burned.
It had been there on that day, and from what the Doctors had told him, it ended up being a possession that no one had really been sure as to who it belonged.
Tanjiro at one point would have been able to tell this, but today…
“Sometimes, I wonder which of my Siblings actually read this.”
Today, he could not tell. Be it because of how tied to the incident it was, or just because it was so recent that it was completely overshadowed in his mind, there was just something that stopped him from linking this to the likes of Takeo, Shigeru, Hanako and Ń̴̡̫̩̥͈͊̀̂̾́̊̐̕͠ȩ̷̲̥͓̣͗̕͠z̵͙̠͔͑̔͐͑̂̆͠ư̴̡̪̯̟̏̍̃͐̇̋͑͐͑̈͐̾̚k̷̜̞͇͈̱̎̓̕ȯ̵̢̢͚̰̮̙̦̣̙̮͓̠̜̈̈́͘.
It couldn’t have been Rokuta, that much he was sure.
So, he was left to wonder. It’s why he never really could bring himself to throw it away either.
This was, just like the Hanafuda Earrings of his Father, the last Memento of someone who had once lived. And while he couldn’t remember to who this was, this was also why he’d never throw it away.
So, just like the Hanafuda, he left it as decoration. Close to the frame that held the Earrings.
He knew for a fact there were some other things he needed to pull out that weren’t just clothes. He’d seen the glimpses, but Tanjiro didn’t think he could immediately look at them after just now thinking of his Family.
So instead, he began to arrange his Clothes in the closet. As he was used to doing this, it didn’t take all too long before it was all arranged.
Leaving behind the necessities and of course, what else reminded him of his Family.
His Mother had clearly not wanted to overwhelm him, but didn’t believe she shouldn’t be able to remember his Family’s faces.
Because there was a Picture Frame. Of their whole Family during a Vacation.
They’d just finished visiting a Temple when Hanako had insisted she wanted them to do a Picture.
No one had refused her. So there they all were.
His Father and Mother side by side, with the latter holding the just barely Three-year-old Rokuta.
Hanako, Shigeru and Takeo were all surrounding Tanjiro himself, since it had been insisted he should stand in the middle. And they’d thought it would be a good idea to cling onto him.
And…
W̵̧̗̳͓͗̈́̌͘ͅh̷͕͆̈́̉̓̐̀̑͜ō̴̡̺͓̖̚ ̶͕̣̱͚̤̮͔̈́̑́̏̚͝w̴̙̠̉ȃ̸̡͖͈̮̜̗̣̒̑s̵̨̹̦͖̋̊̃̽̕ ̴̢̝͇̥̉̈́̀͒̅̓̋ͅţ̸̨͉̫͇͖͚̒̓͐̓̃͊͝a̷̛͔̠̓̔͘ͅk̷̡͇̦̬͒͘ͅi̵̢̟̲̳͐ņ̸̯̯͈̈́̒̍̔͝g̸̼̮͝ ̸̦̤̽͗̈́͝t̴͚̞̊͘͝h̴̟̳̲̠͊a̷̙̾̂͊̓̐͠ͅṱ̸̨̥̰̯̖͋̃̿͛̑ ̵͓͍͔̙̙͐̈̐̓͊P̶̡̣͔̲̤͚͎̓h̸͓̋́͜͠o̶̡͇͎̖̯̍͑̃̈́̔̕͝ṫ̶̯͍̗͊́̾̍͊̏͜o̷͍̪̲͇͗̑̏̈́ ̵̙͕͋ͅa̷̟͔͒̍̉̆̒͘g̷̨̭͕̟̰̤͊̍͒̉̑͘a̶̲̲̦̅̃̀́i̵̧̩͓͙̠̮͋̄͂̏̊̕͜n̵̡͍̦̤͊̕͜͝?̸͎̐̾͒͋̍̅
And that was it.
It had been taken, eventually framed, and this was it. The last Family Photo of the whole Family because cruelty struck.
Tanjiro could feel his eyes watering, which is why he didn’t look at the Picture for much longer and left it beside the Earrings and burned Manga.
How much he missed those days…
[ Stop Soundtrack ]
Just then, he heard a knock on his door.
“Tanjiro. Dinner’s almost ready.” Giyu’s voice was heard behind the door, which also prompted Tanjiro to wipe his eyes as he responded.
“I’ll be there!”
[ Persona 5 Soundtrack - Beneath the Mask ]
And that was that. Tanjiro headed downstairs and his nose smelled something quite delicious.
It really felt appealing.
“Are you drooling?” Sojiro questioned Tanjiro with an amused smirk, causing the Kamado to blink for a moment and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and found himself surprised by the fact that he was actually drooling.
“Makes sense. Curry made by Sojiro is easily some of the best food in Japan at least.” Giyu said with a completely straight face as he sat down in front of a plate. And as Tanjiro considered the claim…
The fact that the smell alone was getting a bigger reaction than even Angelica Sprouts said something at the very least.
“Well, I certainly had some help in learning how to make the Curry as good as it is.” Sojiro said with a smirk as he placed down a plate of curry for Tanjiro on the table, and then sat down when the man put down his own plate.
“By the way, how is your unpacking going?” The older Sakura questioned him with a raised eyebrow while grabbing a spoon and began to eat the delicious smelling food.
“I haven’t sorted everything out yet. But I have gotten things like my uniform already and….” Tanjiro answered honestly while he sat down, but he did cut himself off from continuing when he was just about to bring up the mementos.
“…Look kid, you don’t need to talk about anything you don’t want to, especially this early on.” Sojiro assured the young teen, getting Tanjiro to smile at him a bit and nod his head.
“Thank you, Sojiro-San.” The Kamado says before then taking a bite out of the curry before him, and…
It was amazing!!
“And another curry fan has been made.” Giyu commented as he looked at Tanjiro’s amazed face once he actually tasted the food. In fact, he was sure there would be stars in the teen’s eyes if this was an anime right now.
“Haha! Seems I’m still the cooking kind then.” Sojiro said with a with a smile on his face that not even a blind man could miss. And it only grew as he watched Tanjiro begin to quickly eat the curry to get it all into his mouth, though credit where it was due, the Kamado kept eating at a steady pace while actually keeping his table manners.
“Not exactly something a certain someone can say.” The old Sakura thought before turning his attention to his own plate and began to enjoy his food with Giyu and Tanjiro.
From there, the 3 ate in silence. It wasn’t the kind of comfortable silence Tanjiro had experienced many times with his family in the past, but this one wasn’t really uncomfortable, and only felt… slightly awkward was probably the best way to put it.
But once they were all done, Tanjiro was surprised to see that it was actually getting late. A sentiment that Sojiro appeared to share.
“Huh. Well, seems that time really flew by, huh?” Sojiro remarked as he looked up at a clock on the wall, getting the old man to get off his chair while Giyu got up and immediately went upstairs, likely to his room if Tanjiro were to guess.
“By the way, do you know about the school you’ll be attending while you’re here?” He asked Tanjiro, causing the teen to nod his head while he got off of his own chair.
“Yeah, though I will admit that I don’t know too much. Just that it’s called Shujin Academy and what the uniform is like since it’s up in my new room.” Tanjiro answered honestly, getting Sojiro hum a little at that.
“I see. Well, tomorrow, we are going to have to introduce ourselves to the staff about your transfer and get anything else for school if you don’t already have it. Though, we’ll be needing to get to the Aoyama district to do that, which will take a bit to arrive via train. Add on the transfers being a hassle to begin with, I’ll likely drive you there for just tomorrow.” Sojiro explained to Tanjiro, with the teen smiling and bowing briefly in thanks.
“Got it. And thanks for doing all of this for me, Sojiro-San.” The Kamado said, earning him a chuckle from the middle-aged man.
“It ain’t a problem kid. Anyways, go on and get some rest. I’m going to have a smoke before turning in for the night myself.” The elder Sakura prompted Tanjiro, with the mention of smoking briefly making the teen gag as he remembered their horrid smell.
“Hm? Something wrong?” Sojiro asked with concern, causing Tanjiro to shake his head negatively after taking in a deep breath.
“No, it’s just… I really don’t like the smell that comes from smoking.” Tanjiro answered honestly, getting Sojiro to look confused before realisation showed on his face.
“Ah, right. Your sense of smell was mentioned when I agreed to take you in for the year. In that case, I’ll do my best to avoid smoking around you. Oh, and as a warning, there is a public smoking area at Shibuya Square if you ever go there. Better to know about it now instead of running into it unprepared.” Sojiro promised before warning him, once more earning a smile from Tanjiro.
“Thank you Sojiro-San.” The Kamado said before walking upstairs to his new bedroom, and once he entered, he quietly closed the door behind him.
Tanjiro had few options now. And they all amounted to either finish setting up whatever was still left in his Cardboard box, or just go rest after how long the trip today felt.
And going to sleep sounded amazing right now.
So, Tanjiro changed into his Pajamas and prepared to head to sleep. But as he laid down, he heard his Phone buzz.
An odd thing since he didn’t recall anyone who’d even contact him at this hour.
Only, when he checked, he was met with an uncomfortable sight.
“That weird app is back.”
He was sure he’d deleted the thing a couple of hours ago before getting here. But it was now back?
He repeated the process and deleted the thing again. Hoping it would stick this time.
And with that done, there was nothing that should interrupt his sleep now. Something that was growing increasingly welcomed as his eyelids felt heavier and heavier.
Laying down, he shut off the lights and went off into a deep slumber.
And time passed…
[ Xenoblade Chronicles Soundtrack - Egil’s Theme ]
What tipped off Tanjiro that something was terribly wrong, was the fact that all the warmth of the Pillow or Blanket he’d had were gone.
Instead leaving way for the cold. A cold so alien to his Body and Mind that both understood even at a subconscious level that something abnormal was taking place.
It’s why his eyes snapped open and he practically gasped, for it felt like he’d been submerged under the deep sea.
His own breath and the sound of droplets falling into a body of water were all he had, for a moment. And eventually, Tanjiro finally chose to move after he’d gotten enough of his bearings back.
He leaned up. And that action allowed him to see that he wasn’t even in his Pajamas anymore.
Instead, he had a Prisoner's Garment on. And both his Feet and Hands were shackled. Cuffs for the latter and an Iron Ball for the former.
Tanjiro paled immediately in horror, simply because he was so lost as to what was going on.
“How did I even… What’s going on?!”
To keep himself with some form of composure, or at least to even out his increasingly ragged breathing, Tanjiro had moved into a sitting position so that it would come easier.
Yet it really didn’t help. Not when he realized what this small room he was in was.
A Prison Cell. With him as it’s Prisoner.
“I was… I was asleep in the Sakura’s Home. I know I was. So how am I even here?”
He was met with a laugh.
He was met with a laugh.
Tanjiro turned his head to stare at the Iron Bars of his Cell. And stepping into view were Twins.
(He couldn’t smell a thing)
Platinum Blond was the colour of their Hair, one had it braided while the other had it bunned. Yet both shared a single yellow coloured eye, for the other was covered with an eyepatch.
If not for the situation at hand, Tanjiro would have found their little getup rather cute. What with them giving the impression they were some sort of Law Enforcement.
That feeling however was faint and overshadowed by desperation to know what the hell was going on.
And while the Iron Ball attached to his feet was heavy, the Metal Chain was long enough he could reach the Iron Bars.
His intent was to ask what was going on. But the Twins only smiled, and as if they could see what he did at this moment, they stepped to the side the moment he noticed what was past them.
And it was hard to even miss them, because the very light the ceiling gave off practically illuminated the figures under it and basked them.
For there were Five of them.
One at the Centre, sitting at the Desk. And Two on each side.
Those who caught Tanjiro’s eye immediately were those who remained standing.
Three Men and One Woman.
They all shared similar traits as the Twins. All had Platinum Blonde Hair. All had those equally yellow eyes. All wore Blue and Black. And all had the exact same skin complexion.
Tanjiro looked first at the one that stood on the right side. And he was one of the men. His hair was a Wavy Mullet with a side fringe and his eyes gave the impression that you would burn, should you stare too long at them. As if one were to stare at the Sun.
He wore what could be described as a long coat that gave off the impression of a Priests Robe. Only, it was Blue in colour instead of Black or White.
Only, white blue was definitely the most prominent colour, the Centre region of the Coat wasn’t actually the same shade of Blue.
Instead taking a much darker Blue with black outlines and having imprinted on the centre, from just below his throat to the very bottom of it, a Symbol.
That of a Circle made out of Feathered Wings, given the golden colour. At its centre were Golden Buttons so the coat could be fastened on.
The Long Sleeves of the Coat were designed with a similar design to the Centre of the coat, though much thinner and with two of them instead of one. Those two Black lines with Golden outlines spread down the shoulder to the Elbow where they stopped, for this Man had armguards on past that point that practically merged with the sleeve, were it not for its lighter colour.
And while hidden by the Long Coats lower half, the Pants he wore were of similar design, albeit with swapped colours. The Pants were black and the lines were blue, though the outline remained the same. His shoes were perhaps the most normal thing out of the lot however, since they were just black shoes.
He was noticeably carrying a Book by the side of his body that was strikingly white with its cover and held a Yellow Cross at its Centre.
Moving his attention slightly to the left, he saw then the closest to the one with the Mullet.
He was also a Man. His hair was fringed up straight and his yellow eyes felt much more welcoming, and yet, with a certain edge to them. As if making a single mistake would be the end of him.
Compared to the previous man, his attire was a bit more simple, but also still unique.
His was the most similar to the Twins. Because he mainly had a Blue Dress Shirt on and black pants. The shoes were the exact same as the previous one as well.
However, he did have something else on top of that. Namely that he had a Sleeveless Jacket with it almost reaching his knees. The Same Symbol that the previous one had, the Feathered Circle, covered where his Pockets were.
Slightly open at the top, his necktie was visible. Showing its purple colour.
Just like the previous one, he was also holding something within his arms. Though this time, it wasn’t a book but a Clipboard. It looked identical to the one the Twin with the Braids had.
His gaze moved then to the other half and this time, landed on a woman.
Her Hair was combed straight from the front of her face, with the rest of it becoming curly once they passed her skull. Her yellow eyes held the most warmth he had seen, and yet, something felt hidden under that gaze.
It seemed to carry over her posture. It was the most relaxed out of the Four, but there was something… more to it. As if there was hidden intent.
Her attire at first looked to be a simple dark blue dress. With short sleeves and dress reaching her ankles.
However, Tanjiro did notice a specific thing from this Dress. Namely, that it took after a Nurses tunic in appearance, with its buttons located more on the left than the centre. Something he’d grown familiar with due to his own stay in the Hospital.
One side of the tunic was Blue, her right, and the other side was black, her left. That split colour separated because of the button lineup that kept it closed. It reached all the way down to her waist before there was no more black, but the line did continue down to the bottom with a few belts attached on both sides to strap it.
Speaking of the lower half of the Dress, it was intricately designed. Or at least, it’s very edge was.
There was that Feathered Circle, followed by diamond shapes completely black. It repeated then into a spiral of those Circles, Diamonds and on until it had circled the whole dress.
The final thing of note about her, is that instead of holding something like a clipboard or a book like the two others, she held a large flower in her left hand and idly spun it within her grasp.
It took no time for Tanjiro to then move his gaze as his eyes landed on the final one. The one on his utmost left.
His Hair was slicked back entirely, and he held piercing yellow eyes that might as well be looking right into his Soul.
He wore something that would fit in the Military. After all, he had a General’s Uniform on, though perhaps with a more older look.
Because Tanjiro doesn’t remember if attires like that ever-had Golden epaulettes in today’s time.
Most of the outfit was consistent with what one could see today. The Completely Blue Suit that held four buttons and left the top open to reveal the Black Dress Shirt and the Red necktie.
And the Medals he had on that Suit stood out a bit because of its darker colours. Both on the right and left breast. And unseen to Tanjiro, on the back of his clothes, he had that same Feathered Circle. A single but large thing.
He held nothing within his hands and instead had them crossed behind his back. Fitting every bit you may expect of a General.
Those were the Four that stood in a Horizontal line right behind the Desk. And each and every one of those Four gave Tanjiro a chill.
He felt it run all over more than once as his gaze landed on each of them.
They felt…
[ Stop Soundtrack ]
O̷̖͓̪͖̱͑̐͆̐̐̓͘͜veŗ̶̧͇̱͈̭̉̈̐͐̏whel̸͕̩̖̗̯̗̺͕̲͛́͐̈́̈̀̈́͐͝ming̴̢̡̪̯̼̺͖͋̆̍̉́̂̐͑
Something far beyond what he could understand or comprehend.
Yet, it couldn’t compare to the one in the middle and in front of them. The one who was seated at this Desk.
But it wasn’t the same either.
No, this being at this Desk, the one at the Heart of it all…
He simply exude sheer overwhelming might in a scale that made it impossible to not pay attention to him.
His Nose could stop smelling. His Eyes could stop seeing. His Ears could stop hearing. His Mouth could stop tasting. His Skin could stop feeling.
Even if those senses were gone, he’d still know He was here. Just like the Sun that shined on them all during the day, His presence basked in a manner that felt omnipresent, yet not crushing enough you would reject or fear it.
Tanjiro did not know how he should feel. Did not know what he should do. Did not know how he should act.
But the one at the Centre of it all, a bizarre old man with a long nose, pointed ears and bulging bloodshot eyes, spoke.
“Trickster.”
His voice was deep. His voice carried over this entire Velveted Place.
His voice made all Six other individuals straighten even further than before. And Tanjiro gave a gulp at the dry feeling his throat had held since he cast his eyes at Him.
He extended a gloved hand to him.
“Welcome to my Velvet Room.”
